You can often find "orphan" amplifier switch pedals sitting in a plastic bin in music stores for a reasonable price. Some are pleasingly well-suited to use for what you describe, especially the ones made from extruded aluminum, with the switches mounted close enough to the front. I picked up a 3-stomp switch some 20 years back, and recently found it ideal for building myself a 3-effect unit, that I packed a compressor, overdrive, and Rebote 2 delay into.

Also, in view of your intention to build in 2 "distortions", you may be able to get by with a 3-stompswitch unit, and simply use a toggle switch to select between distortion A and B.

Perhaps your bigger challenge will be keeping the various high-gain signals from leaking into each other and causing unwanted oscillations. Either plan out a fabulously bulletproof layout, or score yourself some thinner-gauge shielded cable.

You can often find "orphan" amplifier switch pedals sitting in a plastic bin in music stores for a reasonable price. Some are pleasingly well-suited to use for what you describe, especially the ones made from extruded aluminum, with the switches mounted close enough to the front. I picked up a 3-stomp switch some 20 years back, and recently found it ideal for building myself a 3-effect unit, that I packed a compressor, overdrive, and Rebote 2 delay into.

Also, in view of your intention to build in 2 "distortions", you may be able to get by with a 3-stompswitch unit, and simply use a toggle switch to select between distortion A and B.

Perhaps your bigger challenge will be keeping the various high-gain signals from leaking into each other and causing unwanted oscillations. Either plan out a fabulously bulletproof layout, or score yourself some thinner-gauge shielded cable.

Hello Mark, very interesting your reply,

so how did you managed the signal leakings and the oscillations in your 3 effect unit?

Did you used a particular kind of shielding inside the box or just a good quality cable between an fx and the other?

It's an all-metal chassis, and the footprint of the PCBs is small enough that each one lines up with the stompswitch. (I'll try and post a picture later tonight)

The linked-to Hammond box provides a fine alternative. The advantages of the amp footswitches are that the front is usually sloped, some of the holes are already drilled, and they can sometimes be gotten very cheaply. If all you can find where you live are unsloped units for an outrageous price with the switch holes drilled in the exact wrong spot for installing a board, then go with the DD box. I was just throwing the idea out there as an option.

It's an all-metal chassis, and the footprint of the PCBs is small enough that each one lines up with the stompswitch. (I'll try and post a picture later tonight)

The linked-to Hammond box provides a fine alternative. The advantages of the amp footswitches are that the front is usually sloped, some of the holes are already drilled, and they can sometimes be gotten very cheaply. If all you can find where you live are unsloped units for an outrageous price with the switch holes drilled in the exact wrong spot for installing a board, then go with the DD box. I was just throwing the idea out there as an option.

Should be great to see a pic of your unit,

somewhere in my garage I've got a Soldano footswitch remote for an XR88...maybe it could do the job!!

I will add the following caveat, though. The chances are quite high that an amp footswitch box will use SPST stompswitches, that may well have a much shallower profile than any DPDT or 3PDT you attempt to use. Indeed, sometimes it is the only way they can mount switches so close to the front on a sloped chassis. There may or there may not be enough depth for 3PDT switches. So if you go hunting for a unit, I recommend bringing along your stompswitch of choice to hold up against the side for comparison, just to make sure you have enough clearance.

I will add the following caveat, though. The chances are quite high that an amp footswitch box will use SPST stompswitches, that may well have a much shallower profile than any DPDT or 3PDT you attempt to use. Indeed, sometimes it is the only way they can mount switches so close to the front on a sloped chassis. There may or there may not be enough depth for 3PDT switches. So if you go hunting for a unit, I recommend bringing along your stompswitch of choice to hold up against the side for comparison, just to make sure you have enough clearance.

I've just started my 5-in-one (plus a boost and splitter) and the Hammond enclosure is perfect- tons of room for a PSU and everything else without being totally jumbled. Just finished drilling it out a second ago actually:

As promised. These two pedals were built into amp switch-boxes. The location of the stompswitches in the 3-in-1 and the Mini-Booster are exactly where they were for the amp switch. I added a "service/convenience" outlet for the 9v adaptor, so I could just run a short patch cord to a nearby pedal that needed power.

Here is a triple I did... Switching is kinda different, 2 distortions and 1 overdrive. The OD is always first in the chain... The far left stomp switches between the left and right distortion, the middle switch turns the OD on or off and the far right stomp bypasses the whole pedal.. The LED on the distortions turns red or blue depending on which one you are using.

As promised. These two pedals were built into amp switch-boxes. The location of the stompswitches in the 3-in-1 and the Mini-Booster are exactly where they were for the amp switch. I added a "service/convenience" outlet for the 9v adaptor, so I could just run a short patch cord to a nearby pedal that needed power.

Great Job Mark! It looks exactly as the thing I've imagined to do..the only difference is I have to do it for 4 pedals in one enclosure.

I've just started my 5-in-one (plus a boost and splitter) and the Hammond enclosure is perfect- tons of room for a PSU and everything else without being totally jumbled. Just finished drilling it out a second ago actually:

Here is a triple I did... Switching is kinda different, 2 distortions and 1 overdrive. The OD is always first in the chain... The far left stomp switches between the left and right distortion, the middle switch turns the OD on or off and the far right stomp bypasses the whole pedal.. The LED on the distortions turns red or blue depending on which one you are using.